


boldly go

by oopshidaisy



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Coda, Episode: s04e24 Amplification, Excessive Star Trek references, Fluff, Like really this is teeth-rotting stuff, M/M, Missing Scene, T'hy'la, nerds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 17:14:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14573724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oopshidaisy/pseuds/oopshidaisy
Summary: Reid's near-death experience reminded him of something.





	boldly go

**Author's Note:**

> ok listen i watched amplification a couple days ago and i could not stop thinking about the moreid/spirk parallels so now this.....exists

“So, Morgan,” Reid says, brightly – too brightly for someone who was infected with anthrax not four hours ago. He’s digging into a pot of Jell-O and it’s easy for Morgan to forget, just for the moment, how close he’d been to losing him. “Have you ever seen _The Wrath of Khan_?”

“The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” Morgan replies, absent-minded. He’d watched the movie a lot as a kid, although he’s more of a _Star Wars_ guy when it really comes down to it. He hasn’t watched any _Star Trek_ in years. “Sure.” He can’t seem to stop looking at Reid’s hand, laid over the thin hospital sheets. The veins are startlingly blue.

He thinks he’d be happy to listen to Reid ramble about the finer points of pop culture philosophy for the next few hours, just to hear his voice. 

Reid grins, leaning forward. “So you know when Spock’s dying on his side of the glass and Kirk rushes in and…”

“Oh, you are so not doing this right now.”

“I’m just saying, there are certain similarities.”

“You almost died a few hours ago and now you wanna talk about how it’s like _Star Trek_?” Once he says it out loud, Morgan realises it’s just about the most _Reid_ thing he can imagine happening. But still, there’s principle to consider.

“You must admit – I’m a Spock type. You’re a Kirk type. It fits.”

Morgan laughs. “We’ve known you’re half-Vulcan for years. Nice to have it confirmed, finally.”

Reid’s got inky purple under his eyes and his bones are jutting out at every angle, but when he laughs it’s like one of the weekends when the team hangs out over pizza, far removed from the danger of their working life. If Morgan closes his eyes and just listens, he can pretend they’re not in the hospital.

“You didn’t have to stay, you know,” Reid says. “It wasn’t your fault – you don’t need to feel responsible.”

“Kid, I’m not here because I feel responsible.”

“Then…why?” Reid sounds genuinely confused, like he can’t imagine a single reason someone would stay with him other than guilt. Slowly, so that Reid can pull away if he wants to, Morgan reaches out to wrap his fingers around Reid’s.

“I’m here because I care about you. We all do – Penelope’s already planning the surprise party for when you’re back on your feet.”

“I hate surprises.”

“Yeah, I figured. That’s why I’m telling you now.”

Reid twists his hand around so that their palms are pressed together. “I guess you remember what Spock says when he’s behind the glass.”

“Remind me.”

“ _I have been…and always shall be…your friend_.” Reid’s impression of Spock is surprisingly good, gasping breaths and all.

“You’re such a nerd,” Morgan says, smiling to make sure Reid knows he’s saying it with fondness, not reproach.

“That’s not your line.”

“No. No way.”

“Come on…” Reid says, and his eyes are twinkling.

“Fine.” Morgan clears his throat. “ _KHAAAAAAAAN_.” Reid snorts with laughter. “That good enough for you, baby boy?”

“You’ve never called me that before,” Reid comments.

“I – ”

Before he can finish, the nurse who’s taken to checking on Reid pokes her head around the door. “I’d like to remind you boys, for the sixth time, that we have other patients here.” Morgan sees her gaze fix on their interlocked hands and allows whatever conclusions she’s drawing.

“Sorry,” Reid says, not sounding particularly sorry. It’s a good thing he’s pretty, Morgan thinks.

The nurse – he thinks her name is Jo – shakes her head, but the softness of her smile betrays that she’s just as enamoured with Reid as everyone ends up being. “Just keep it down,” she says. “Spencer, do you need anything?”

“Coffee.”

“Very funny. I can get you juice if you want something to drink.”

“It’s fine, I’ll survive.”

As she leaves, Jo says, “Visiting hours are over in an hour, Agent Morgan. I can’t cover for you again.”

Morgan spares a glance for the clock on the wall: 7:12pm. He hasn’t left the hospital in a full day. “You gonna be alright here by yourself, kid?”

“Mm,” Reid hums. “Why’d she have to cover for you?”

“I stayed overnight.” He shrugs. “Didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

“That’s…” Reid’s fingers tighten around his. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Reid tucks his hair behind his ear with his right hand, a gesture Morgan recognises as one of his nervous tics. He’s chewing on his lower lip, too, eyes downcast. “You do feel guilty, though,” he says, so quiet that Morgan leans forward to hear. “You feel like you have to protect me.”

Morgan considers denying it.

“I…want you to be safe, yes. I want to keep you safe.”

“Because you’re my friend?”

Morgan swallows. “Yeah.”

“I never really had friends, before,” Reid says, and there’s a tremor in his voice. If he didn’t read people for a living, Morgan probably wouldn’t have noticed it. “People always thought I was weird.”

“I still think you’re a little weird,” Morgan says. “I like it, though. It’s good weird.”

Reid beams. He looks exhausted, but happier than Morgan’s seen him in a long time. It’s a strange combination, but he can’t help but think that Reid’s a little bit gorgeous when he smiles and his eyes crinkle at the corners.

“You’ll come back tomorrow, right?” Reid says.

“I wouldn’t miss out on shitty hospital coffee for the world,” Morgan responds, tracing circles into the back of Reid’s hand with his thumb. “Plus the view’s not too bad.”

“And the company?”

“I’ve had worse.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then,” Reid says around a yawn, and Morgan takes his cue to leave. He stands up.

“Hey, pretty boy,” Morgan says, parting his fingers in the Vulcan salute. “Live long and prosper.”

Before he can talk himself out of it, he’s ducking down and kissing Reid’s cheek – too close to the corner of his upturned lips to be casual, friendly. When he pulls back Reid’s fingers dart up to trace over the place where his lips had been, expression dazed.

“Dif-tor heh smusma, t’hy’la,” Reid replies.

Morgan laughs, because of course Reid knows Vulcan.

**Author's Note:**

> the translation of what reid says is essentially just "live long and prosper, soulmate."
> 
> main twitter: [@davidfinchher](https://twitter.com/davidfinchher)  
> tumblr: [@lesbian-dennis](http://lesbian-dennis.tumblr.com)  
> letterboxd: [@davidfinchher](https://letterboxd.com/davidfinchher)  
> ko-fi: [@elliehopes](https://ko-fi.com/elliehopes)


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